Sony has announced its next Xperia flagship - the Xperia XZ at consumer electronics show IFA in Berlin.

The device has leaked several times over the last few months and aside from the name, many of the rumours were accurate, resulting in only a couple of surprises.

We've compared the specs of the Xperia XZ to the Xperia Z5 in a separate feature, but here we are looking at how the Xperia XZ compares to the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance.

Sony Xperia XZ vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Design

The Xperia XZ follows the same OmniBalance design as previous Sony smartphones, but with a couple of tweaks, including a flatter and squarer top and bottom. The new flagship measures 146 x 72 x 8.1mm, weighs 161g and it offers a brushed metal finish.

The fingerprint sensor remains within the side power button, USB Type-C makes its Sony debut and there is a new rear camera layout. The new device also offers IP65 and IP68 water and dust resistance.

Both the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance have brushed metal finishes and the OmniBalance design, though they are a little more rounded than the Xperia XZ. They also both have fingerprint sensors built-in to the side power button, but only the X Performance is water and dust resistant and neither have USB Type-C.

The Xperia X measures 143 x 69 x 7.7mm and weighs 152g while the Xperia X Performance measures 143 x 70.5 x 8.6mm and weighs 164g. That means the new Xperia XZ is larger than both the X and X Performance, but slimmer and lighter than the X Performance.

Sony Xperia XZ vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Display

The Sony Xperia XZ arrives with a 5.2-inch display offering a Full HD resolution. This puts the XZ's pixel density at 424ppi.

The Xperia X and X Performance both have 5-inch displays and they both have 1080p resolutions meaning their pixel densities are 441ppi. Although on paper that means they will be sharper than the XZ, the difference wouldn't be noticeable to the human eye.

All three devices being compared have a number of Sony technologies on board, including Triluminos and X-Reality. They also all have large bezels at the top and bottom, but the Xperia XZ's display wraps round towards the edges thanks to a new design feature called Loop that offers a lovely, almost bezel-free finish at the sides.

Sony Xperia XZ vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Camera

The Sony Xperia XZ, X Performance and X all have a 23-megapixel rear camera, coupled with a 13-megapixel front camera. The new device offers two extra supporting sensors however, along with manual control of the ISO and shutter speed.

The rear camera on all three has a sensitivity of ISO 12,800 and an LED flash, while the front camera has a wide-angle lens and a sensitivity of ISO 6400.

The X Performance and X are capable of Full HD video recording from the front and rear cameras, while the Xperia XZ can record in 4K from its rear camera and Full HD from its front.

Sony Xperia XZ vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Hardware

The Sony Xperia XZ features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. There is microSD on board and a 2900mAh battery, charged via USB Type-C, as we mentioned.

The Xperia X features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chip, supported by 3GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage, both of which have microSD expansion. There is a 2620mAh battery.

The Xperia X Performance has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory with microSD and a 2700mAh battery. That means the XZ should offer the same performance as the X Performance but with a longer battery life, in theory. Both the Xperia X and X Performance have Micro-USB charging ports.

Sony Xperia XZ vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Software

The Sony Xperia XZ launches on Android Marshmallow rather than Android Nougat and it features Sony's bloatware over the top.

Both the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance run on Android Marshmallow and also feature bloatware over the top. They will all be updated to Android Nougat eventually.

There are a few new software features with the new device, such as battery management and manual camera capabilities as we mentioned, but the experience between these three devices should be very similar.

Sony Xperia XR vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia X: Conclusion

The Sony Xperia XZ improves on the Xperia X in terms of hardware and performance, though not on the X Performance.

The new device offers a slightly different design, even if still familiar, and there are a few good tweaks, such as the almost bezel-free display from the side.

In terms of other specs though, there isn't much of a difference to the Xperia X Performance at all, except for a larger screen, larger battery capacity and the addition of USB Type-C.